Jazz & Improvisation / Avant-Garde Jazz

*2025 stock* Setting the stage for The Zebra Paradox requires building anticipation and intrigue on the inside of the listener before they even hear the first notes. To accomplish this an imagined transference of information must bloom like a deep inhalation of sonic spores. If categories can be applied to explore how concepts are played out in this music and throughout the album, perhaps think of displacement, confusion, time distortion and derangement. Otherwise the listener might choose to tr…

Group Theory: Black Music is a stunning new statement from South African drummer and composer Tumi Mogorosi. Standing in the lineage of South African greats such as Louis Moholo-Moholo, Makaya Ntshoko and Ayanda Sikade, Mogorosi is one of the foremost drummers working anywhere in the world, with a flexible, powerful style that brings a distinctive South African inflection to the polyrhythmic tradition of Elvin Jones, Max Roach and Art Blakey. Since his international debut on Jazzman Records in 2…

Ben Stapp Launches Uzmic Ro’Samg — A Visionary Solo Album for Tuba and Sousaphone. Internationally recognized tubist and composer Ben Stapp announces the release of Uzmic Ro’Samg, his first-ever album of unaccompanied tuba and sousaphone. A daring, world-building statement, the recording blends technical mastery with storytelling rooted in Stapp’s original science fiction narrative.  Stapp has long been a distinctive voice in the avant-garde and creative music scenes. He has created and recorded…

Unstoppable Rising Pianist Eva Novoa Reunites with Bassist Drew Gress and Drummer Devin Gray to Bring Us Another Blazing Interplay Banger

2025 Repress. In the pantheon of jazz "holy grails," few albums combine rarity and excellence like this one. Recorded in 1965, this session represents a forceful reminder of the limitations of the "great names" approach to jazz history, capturing Sahib Shihab (Edmund Gregory) at the height of his creative powers with Denmark's finest musicians. Shihab played with many of jazz's finest. Shortly after he became one of the first jazz players to change their names due to an Islamic conversion, he jo…

Andrew Barker - drums, percussion William Parker - bass, b flat pocket tuba, gralla Jon Irabagon - tenor saxophone, sopranino saxophone   Recorded by Andrew Barker January 3rd, 2022 at Phantom Ear Studio, Brooklyn, NY.Mixed by Andrew Barker.Mastered by Steve Silverstein.

Three improvisers having fun and taking risks. The classic piano-less jazz trio reinvented by mixing melodies, dirty sounds, noises, extended techniques and references to tradition with a quasi-punk approach.

One of the most politically charged terms of the 20th century, the Iron Curtain was a metaphor for political and cultural division. In a post-war telegram Winston Churchill referred to the fault line that ran through Europe between East and West as "an Iron Curtain is drawn down upon their front. We do not know what is going on behind". In this two-part album, as far as jazz is concerned, we will showcase, describe and celebrate exactly what was 'going on behind'. We see that music is the power …

Edition of 50 copies. Recorded on shitty 70s consumer tape decks, Fair Enough is a lo-fi experience you can play at your stoner parties. In an age where the dance floor is no longer the place to hook up, Fair Enough will calm your emotions, it will lower your libido, it will keep you out of trouble. This is a mixtape that features different music improvised and played by a trio already known as "The Blue Men". Nicolò Masetto on keys, Simone Coppiello on drums and A.M. Davì on bass. Working with …

*2022 stock* In the year that Juneteenth was finally declared a national U.S. holiday, 2021, Joe McPhee and Tomeka Reid united for a live concert in celebration. Multi-instrumentalist McPhee was deeply moved by the historical nature of the circumstances, the incredible freight of that history of oppression and liberation represented in the legislation, both the insanity of its overdueness and the joy of its institutionalization. As a preamble to the music, McPhee led off with two poems, read wit…

Edition of 33 copies. The Jooklo Duo has transformed into an electrifying quintet, featuring Virginia Genta on saxophone, Michele Guglielmi on keyboards, Otto Willberg on bass, David Vanzan on drums, and Andrea Davì on percussion. Spontaneous tunes bursting with vibrant jazz vibes, mind-bending fusion discoveries. Recorded in Italy between october 31st and november 2nd 2023

Tzadik is proud to present Asterisms, a beautiful and exploratory instrumental project by Sean Ono Lennon, one of the most creative and versatile musician/composer/producer/songwriters working today. Sean has written countless songs, composed film scores, produced, and performed on dozens of albums-and here he steps out as the leader of an all-star band of Downtown luminaries. Years in the making, the music is powerful, trippy, and intensely imaginative, blending rock, electronics, jazz, and mor…

Thirty-three years after their first meeting, Samsara is a spectacular reunion of three of the world's most extreme musical explorers—John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris.

The Equinox is PainKiller's much anticipated sequel to their critically praised 2024 album Samsara, and it has a more varied and adaptable style than their previous work.

Building on the back of their recent, stellar reissue of Eddie Gale's “Ghetto Music”, Elemental Music continues their long-standing initiative to make important works from the history of jazz available to a new generation of listeners with the much needed and long overdue, first ever vinyl reissue of Pharoah Sanders’ towering 1973 classic “Village of the Pharoahs”. Easily some of Sanders’ most radical music ever laid to tape, unfolding as a bristling hybrid of modal, spiritual jazz and driving f…

Endless Happiness reissues Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s experimental 1973 album, “Prepare Thyself to Deal with a Miracle”—a visionary, layered jazz masterpiece showcasing Kirk’s multi-instrumental mastery and boundary-pushing sound.

2006 release ** "If cutting-edge music presages the course that society will take, then this release from Trio Tarana indicates that at some point we will be heading down the right path. Percussionist Ravish Momin leads a trio of musicians with diverse ethnic backgrounds with the stated purpose "of sharing their unique Asian-American musical concept and identity with different audiences, worldwide." With Five Nights, recorded live at Washington DC's beautiful Freer Gallery of Art amidst their ex…

"Samādhi,- a Sanskrit word meaning “concentration,” can refer to both the activity of Buddhist meditation and the absorbed state of mind of a meditating person. Wherever I’ve known the improvisatory gesture to manifest – whether in experimental music, live art, writing, radical research workshops or the subtle space of meditation – I’ve found a similar set of energetic qualities budding. Openness, presence, surprise, delight and even sometimes the ‘dropping off of mind and body’ (as 13th century…

The Bagatelles Vol.2: Erik Friedlander and Michael by John Zorn is a captivating album released by Tzadik, showcasing the exceptional talents of cellist Erik Friedlander and pianist Michael Nicolas. This album is a beautiful fusion of classical music with avant-garde jazz, creating a unique and mesmerizing listening experience for music enthusiasts.

Volume three of the recording of John Zorn's renowned Bagatelles, chosen from the more than 300 works that the American conductor and composer created in a span of three months at the beginning of 2015 and later compiled into a book. In this performance, the experimental band Trigger tear through fifteen of the collection's most wackiest and chaotic pieces.

Captured at Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium in February 2023, Archaisms II focuses on the unique approach to conducted improvisation that each has devised, with a trio of collaborators from the new music realm: Sae Hashimoto and Russell Greenberg of Yarn/Wire and Levy Lorenzo of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). The term “archaisms” refers to a word or phrase of more ancient provenance employed in the context of modern language. In referring to the singular music created by Rudolph …

Dunmall continues his run of very special releases on Discus Music. Working with a nine piece group centered around his Birmingham based colleagues, and which includes double keys and electronics, Dunmall delivers a swirling mix of spacey big band music which breaks down into atmospheric and exciting open ended improvisations from time to time. Paul considers this to be a milestone release, and one which is unlike anything else in his extensive discography. Edited and produced with respect, love…

Loveland Music proudly announces the release of Live at The Village Vanguard, a remarkable new recording that brings together seven of the most distinctive voices in modern jazz. Recorded in the legendary New York room that has defined generations of improvised music, this album captures the raw immediacy and atmospheric depth of a once‑in‑a‑lifetime gathering. Subtle, deeply melodic, and unhurried, Live at The Village Vanguard reveals Bro’s unique gift for creating spacious musical landscapes w…

Eero Koivistoinen Quartet's rare live album from 1978 reissued for the first time in nearly half a century via Svart Records.

*2024 stock* John Abercrombie’s ECM debut Timeless (recorded 1974) has proven to be exactly that. This fiery session with Jack DeJohnette and Jan Hammer still sounds as fresh as the year it was released. “Timeless comes as a major surprise in terms of its depth, scope and inventiveness,” wrote Tim Buckley’s guitarist Lee Underwood in the L.A. Free Press. "[It] indicates that John Abercrombie is a major musical voice of tomorrow.”

*2023 stock* It had been preceded by ECM duo albums with Barre Phillips and with Derek Bailey as well as the cooperative band Circle’s great Paris Concert, but Conference of the Birds, recorded in 1972, was Dave Holland’s first album as a full-fledged leader. An album of driving, progressive jazz it is also of historical significance as the only occasion when Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton, two of the music’s most strikingly original saxophonists, recorded together. Inside Dave’s compositions th…

2010? release (VERY RARE!) ** Faruq Z. Bey - poetry, voice, alto sax, tenor sax; Mike Carey - reeds; Skeeter Shelton - reeds; Len Bukowski - contra-alto clarinet; Mike Khoury - violin; Mike Gilmore - vibes, percussion; Mike Johnston - bass, gongs, percussion; Nick Ashton - drums, percussion. What to do with the poetry audio album? There are many of these out there over many decades by poets both famous and not so much. In fact, many of these are recorded by poets onto their laptops and then sold…

Edition of 200. Japanese free jazz legend Akira Sakata and Greek avant-garde guitarist Giotis Damianidis present Adyton, their first-ever duo recording. Having collaborated since 2018, the two musicians have developed an intuitive and electrifying musical dialogue, culminating in this live performance at Haekem, Brussels -- the final concert of a two-week tour with Entasis in September 2023. Sakata, who turned 80 on February 21st, 2024, delivers his signature fiery alto saxophone, evocative clar…

Out Of Your Head Records announces the latest chapter in creative music: 'Half of What You See' by Wrens, a bold new contribution to the label’s tradition of boundary-pushing artistry and limited-run releases. Continuing their dedication to inventive sound and visual originality, Out Of Your Head Records—spanning Richmond and Brooklyn—invites listeners into a world where sonic textures and emotional immediacy collide. 'Half of What You See' showcases Wrens at the height of their powers, blending…

1989 release **

Believe That Was Me: An Existential Experience Starring Avant-Garde Minds, Pianist Matthew Putman, Bassist Hill Greene, and Drummer Francisco Mela

Recorded in Paris in 1966, this double album by Cecil Taylor explores avant-garde free jazz improvisations with Jimmy Lyons, Alan Silva and Andrew Cyrille. Taylor, with his percussive playing, goes beyond the limits of traditional jazz, offering an intense and revolutionary sonic experience, marking his contribution to the genre. Double LP in blue and white, limited to 1,000 copies.

*2025 stock*  The first release in 24 year from Korea's foremost artist in jazz-tinged experimental / ambient music, Kim Byoung Duk!’ Kim Byong-duk is a Korean experimental / ambient musician who has paved his own artistic path by drawing on various musical styles as well as his roots in jazz and modern music. The 2018 anthology, "Experiment No. X", reaffirmed Kim’s status as one of the most progressive and unique musicians in Korea’s experimental music scene. After 24 since his 4th album "New T…

Thereupon is the long-anticipated return of the all-star collaborative trio Fieldwork, which has been described by NPR as a “power trio for the new century.” This long-standing collective comprises three internationally revered innovators of contemporary music: alto saxophonist-composer Steve Lehman, pianist-composer Vijay Iyer, and drummer-composer Tyshawn Sorey. In the seventeen years since their last recording, Door (Pi), all three musicians have climbed to the pinnacle of the creative music …

Listen Ship is the latest masterpiece in the ever-expanding sound world of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Henry Threadgill, whom The New York Review of Books recently described as “one of American music’s great Romantics and a lifelong seeker of the sublime.” The new work is a suite for six acoustic guitars – including individual stylists such as Bill Frisell, Miles Okazaki and Brandon Ross – and two pianos that utilize Threadgill’s unique intervallic syntax to illuminate his idiosyncratic visi…

Unclassified Affections is the entrancing new release from drummer and composer Dan Weiss that features the convergence of some of the most intriguing musicians on the scene: Peter Evans on trumpet, Patricia Brennan on vibraphone, and Miles Okazaki on guitar. The new compositions, which were written by Weiss specifically for these musicians, range from deep, meditative moments to intense, high-energy peaks, while every track unveils a new layer of exploration.   Brennan’s sonorous mallet work co…

*2025 stock*  Kim Oki is a South Korean saxophonist, and former breakdancer. He debuted in 2013 with his studio album Cherubim's Wrath (천사의 분노), and has since released numerous projects and albums. He collaborated with various artists including Park Jiha, Lowdown 30, Hippy Was Gipsy, Say Sue Me, and Bek Hyunjin. He won the Musician of the Year at the 2020 Korean Music Awards. He was also active under the stage names of Kim Oki Oriental Youth (김오키 동양청년), Kim Oki Fucking Madness (김오키뻐킹매드니스), and K…

A forward thinking collaboration between electronic music pioneer Jon Appleton and trumpet great Don Cherry, that explores the relationship between the humanity and the manufactured robotic future. Using the techniques associated with Musique Concrete the ensuing improvisations create a unique entry into the great trumpeter's discography. It was an in vogue attempt to render the music of tomorrow, and today sounds more like the soundtrack to a truly great sci-fi movie. Reissued in a fascimile of…

"The music of this trio, with its emphasis on phrasing, space and dialog, evokes for me the sensation of watching vapor rise and dissolve. That’s why I named the group and the album Atmos, after the Greek word for vapor. The trio has been active since 2023, especially before Brittany Karlson moved from Boston to NY, but there have been other contexts in which the three of us collaborated in different formations. There are six improvised pieces here, five originals of mine (three written specific…

"Ultimately, the best free improvisation performances—and the best films—are those that refuse to be bound by rigid formulas yet still adhere to a fundamental sense of logic and cohesion. They remind us that while structure is important, the real magic happens in the space between the rules." - Mark Corroto